Denver CO - As part of its 2010 webinar series, U.S. DOE’s Wind Powering America program is presenting Community Wind Across America. Windustry Executive Director Lisa Daniels will join other presenters in a discussion of the benefits of strategic partnerships.

Sept. 15, 2010, 10 a.m. to noon, MDT.

This webinar explores how consumer-owned utilities and the communities they serve can benefit from partnering with other utilities to gain economies of scale for wind projects.

Community wind projects bring together state and local economic development and policy makers with utilities and members of the agriculture and wind energy industries to advance opportunities for locally-owned clean energy production.

Consumers benefit from increased diversity and grid reliability, while utilities reduce the need for new transmission lines.

Some of the topics the agenda will cover include:

Local, regional and national policies

Business models

Financing Incentives

Equipment procurement

Construction Power purchase agreements

Operation and maintenance

Presentations and case studies will cover practical information on how to partner in putting together a community wind project.

The information focuses on such issues as how to choose a turbine, installation and rebates and grants.

The webinar will also serve as a preview for the regional Community and Small Wind Energy Conference series Windustry is sponsoring this fall. Those live events will take place in

Denver, Colo., Oct. 26 to 27

St. Paul, Minn., Nov. 15 to 16

College Station, Penn., Nov. 30 to Dec. 1.

The main audience for the webinar is utility staff involved in developing and implementing renewable energy resource portfolios. Other stakeholders and interested parties who can benefit from the information include farmers, ranchers, rural landowners, economic development professionals, elected officials, business leaders, tribal representatives, investors, bankers, town planners and community leaders.

Although the webinar is free, you must register to participate. To register, e-mail your name, affiliation, address, phone and e-mail address to Guy Nelson.

You will recevie the webinar’s internet and phone access numbers by noon Sept. 13. By registering, you agree to allow your contact information to be shared with the supporters of the webinar.

Community Wind Across America Webinar is supported by Western, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Windustry, and Wind Powering America.